Ren

September 20, 2012

To celebrate today’s one-year anniversary of the repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell", we caught up with Ren, an OFA New Mexico Fall Fellow who is helping organize from our Northeast Heights Albuquerque office.

Earlier this year, Ren had the extraordinary opportunity to attend an LGBT reception at the White House, where he met several gay and lesbian service members who could openly attend an event like this, in uniform, for the first time in their lives.

“These people were so happy—elated really—by the words of our President supporting their dreams, their ambitions, and their overwhelming courage. I was left spinning, imagining the life they must have had to live, keeping private, and not by choice—the very thing I myself already took for granted, in no small part due to their very service. They had freedom.”

Ren salutes the President for fighting for the LGBT community on many fronts and knows that his leadership is helping to move the whole country forward—for example, when he spoke out in favor of marriage equality earlier this year.

“An endorsement from the president is not to be taken lightly, and indeed, he is seeing some backlash for it. It showed me that he is a leader, not afraid to ‘evolve’ his own opinion and guide his party down that path. The DNC's adoption of support for gay marriage was the cementing piece of that viewpoint. “

Ren , a college student, was raised in New Mexico and is the son of a single mother who teaches high school students. This is his first time working for a political campaign—and he’s loving every minute of it.

“One thing that really sticks out to me in this movement is the level of enthusiasm and genuine encouragement displayed to everyone. Calling potential volunteers is more like an offer than a request. It's a truly unique experience.”

There are just 47 days to Election Day… and only 19 days until early voting begins. Help Ren keep America moving forward by joining LGBT Americans for Obama: http://lgbt.barackobama.com.